Mine started about 7 years ago (I am 44 now), I had a crazy respiratory issue that led to pneumonia and landed me in the hospital for several days. Due to my condition, and having to retrieve a foreign object from my lung, several high-powered medications were used. The same afternoon that they did conscious sedation to remove the object from my lung I had my first urinary accident. I was terribly embarrassed, and didn't want to tell the nurse what had happened, but when I finally did, she was perfectly professional about it, and changed the bed. Several hours later it happened again, and I was horrified, it was not a drip, my whole bladder emptied at one time. Of course this was after shift-change, so I had to explain it to a second nurse. As before, she took it in stride and while changing the bed asked if I had any incontinence issues before. I said I didn't, and she said it was probably just a side effect the medication and it probably wont last. I was pleased to hear that, but it lasted... She said she could get me some protection to wear if I wanted, as it might make me more comfortable. I told her I would try anything to keep this from happening again. I didn't know what to expect when she came back in, but when I saw the diaper in her hand, I wanted to crawl under the bed. She offered to help me put it on, but I refused, and told her thanks, but I wasn't expecting that. Shortly after she left, I figured out how to put it on, and by morning I was glad that I did. The first year after that I met with several urologists who tried different medications with no real improvement, and several of them have all kinds of crazy side-effects. So I just wear protection all the time, and my issue does not affect my life at all. I was horribly embarrassed about having incontinence for the first several years, but now I have fully accepted it, and really don't mind it at all. So to anyone out here that has the same issues, just be yourself and don't be embarrassed about it.
|